About "The Bam"
WHY IT MATTERS?: This story must be told because it inspires us to fight for our dreams, even when we can't truly see a path to happiness.
WHO IS BAM JOHNSON? : Bam Johnson grew up in the streets in a distressed community where crime and violence ruled the day. As a young child, he was inspired by Bruce Lee and taught himself martial arts and gymnastics on his own. Eventually, he became a champion and starred on the television show WMAC Masters, gaining millions of fans and international acclaim. Ultimately, he achieved his dream of owning a prominent dojo and inspires students of all backgrounds to develop into focused, moral and disciplined adults. But to get there, he would suffer unimaginable tragedies, overcome incredible obstacles, and learn to dominate his greatest adversary of all...himself.
WHY SUPPORT?: People need inspiration now more than ever! Bam Johnson's heroic life is a story that everyone can relate to. This dramatic feature-length biopic will be watched by millions and will touch audiences in ways that a documentary cannot, depicting the emotions behind the action, and the decisive moments where Bam Johnson had to make choices that would impact his life forever. Imani Films has a proven track record of success with 13 feature films currently in distribution, so the film will be watched by millions of people around the world! The film will star Bam Johnson's three sons - Marshieh, Marco, and Zarion, along with several students from his dojo. At least one celebrity actor (to be determined) will also star in the film.
WHO IS IMANI FILMS? : Actor/producer Bryan G Thompson is a student of Bam Johnson and the founder of Imani Films. Imani Films is a production company which produces feature films in multiple genre for worldwide distribution, known for the feature films "Dirt" (Winner, Best Action Film at the NYC Urban Action Film Festival), "Valentine's Date" (Winner, Best Comedy at the Kileen Black Film Festival), "Rogue Cell 1 and 2". These films are currently available on a multitude of streaming platforms, including Peacock, Pluto TV, Fox Soul, Tubi, Prime, Crackle Hoopla, FreeVee, Plex, Pluto TV, Redbox, Roku, Samsung, Vudu, Xumo, Sling TV, and Maverick Black Cinema.
WHO IS ISAAC FLORENTINE? : Isaac Florentine is a close personal friend of Bam Johnson who he met on the set of WMAC Masters. He will serve as Executive Producer for the film, connecting the producers to distribution opportunities and supporting quality-control. He is best known for his martial arts and action genre films, namely Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006), Undisputed III: Redemption (2010), Ninja (2009), Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013) and Close Range (2015) and for launching the career of British actor Scott Adkins.
WHY WE ARE CROWD FUNDING? : Community is everything to Bam Johnson and we want his community to be a part of the story. Fans, friends, students, and members of the community at large who want to inspire the next generation to dream, will support this film and be connected to its legacy forever!
What We Need & What You Get
We need to raise $50,000 in seed money to make this film. Once this money is secured, we can set our filming dates and get this movie made! It takes much more than $50K to make a film, but showing we have this much community support is all we need to show our investors that the people want this movie to happen! Regardless of how much we raise with the campaign, the money will go towards the production of the film, including cast, crew, location fees, legal fees, travel expenses, equipment, wardrobe, etc.
- The perks of supporting this project include:
- Associate Producer status
- Cameo Appearance in the Film (with lines)
- Cameo Appearance In the Film (no lines)
- 3 hour group Training Session with Bam Johnson
- Name in the End Credits
- VIP Seating at World Premiere
The Impact
- Black History and stories of Racial Unity is currently being systematically erased.
- Many people are suffering mentally and emotionally and feel alone in their pain.
- Many people in America feel like they have no control over their destiny.
- Many poor people in America feel they have no real path to true prosperity.
- It is becoming harder for disenfranchised groups in America to get a decent education and a decent job.
- This biopic is inspiration "in a bottle". We need to serve it to the people ASAP!
Risks & Challenges
People value transparency, so here it is...there is virtually no risk. The only way this film will not get distributed is if we create a terrible product. Bryan G Thompson and Bam Johnson have a combined four decades of content creation and entertainment business experience. Our biggest challenge is seed money, which will provide the production team with complete independence.
Two (2) Other Ways You Can Help
1. Please share this campaign! It really helps a lot more than you think. But don't just post the link...Make noise about it! Tell people your connection to it, EXAMPLE: "my cousin's son is training at Bam Johnson's dojo in Maryland and now they are making a movie!"
2. Consider becoming an investor! It's not cheap...but investors put money into the film in exchange for an ownership share in the royalties generated. Those interested in this option should send and email to bryan@imanifilms.com
